Journal article
Determinants of growth of the flammable grass, Triodia scariosa: Consequences for fuel dynamics under climate change in the Mediterranean region of South Eastern Australia
RK Gibson, RA Bradstock, T Penman, DA Keith, DA Driscoll
Austral Ecology | Published : 2016
DOI: 10.1111/aec.12348
Abstract
Environmental conditions may influence the presence and strength of competitive interactions between different life forms, thereby shaping community composition and structure, and corresponding fuel dynamics. Woodland and shrubland communities of the Mediterranean climate region of South Eastern Australia contain a varied mixture of herbaceous and woody plants. The ratio of herbaceous to woody plants changes along gradients of temperature, moisture and soil fertility. This study aimed to experimentally examine the relative importance of, and interactions between environmental controls (moisture and soil fertility) on the balance of dominant herbaceous (Triodia scariosa) and woody plants (e.g..
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Awarded by NSW Office of Environment and Heritage
Funding Acknowledgements
The study was funded by an ARC Linkage grant (LP0776604) with Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources (SA), the Native Vegetation Council (SA), SA Museum, and the Office of Environment and Heritage (NSW) as project partners. Thanks to Sue Lyons and staff at the Controlled Environment Facility at the Australian National University and Tony Langdon at Mildura Native Nursery for providing support services. Thanks also to Dr. Brian van Wilgen and Dr. Joe Fontaine for providing comments on a draft of the manuscript.